[thots] Ashish sequinned grocery bag, Louis Vuitton RWB all over again?

Remember when Louis Vuitton brought out this RWB collection a few years back? Anyone who's vaguely familiar with China and possibly Hong Kong could relate to this extremely roomy, sturdy, inexpensive bag, perfect for moving, strong enough to drag even on tarmac. 

[outift] newbies: Isabel Marant Sebay boots & YSL Duffle 6 bag

I was away for Thanksgiving- a holiday that never appeared on my calendar until I moved to the states. Even now I am more exciting for the perks that comings with it- day off work and black friday sale, for those I am hugely thankful for.

I thought I was going to miss out on all the festivities being away, again THANKFUL i did not, THANKS to online companies for the creation of Cyber black friday (or Cyber Monday..)- GENIUS! I was able to get my Isabel Marant Sebay boots and YSL duffle on the one day cyber extravaganza! thank you thank you THANK YOU! 

[outfit] warm November outdoor wedding

Before my trip to Taiwan we attended yet another wedding this year~ it's a very warm, outdoor, intimate wedding, with a big gathering of friends!! 

[outfit] 2 weeks in Taipei, shirt layering, chunky cardigans, skinny jeans leggings

I've been procrastinating yet again due to travelling schedules, for some reason I always fail to blog when I am in Taipei; there's always some sort of gatherings going on; friends, family, distant family, family's friends.. the social obligations are endless. 

When in Taipei, I always make time for shopping in those local boutique-y stores, some self-owned self-ran, some started that way but has become well-established multiple-store chains among the locals. 

[food] comfort lamb ragu tagliatelle from fresh tomato in 20 minutes

Very similar concept for the sauce from my previous post on summer fresh tomato pasta ! but this time less summery and very comfort food-y and so easy~ 

[outfit] layering tops with lace/ zara suede shorts

I've always been a fan of layering, other than making the outfit looking less plain and more exciting it gives options when there's variation in temperature...

[outfit] zara leather leggings leather shorts

It's no secret Zara's great for fashionable essentials, it's fast fashion strategy had me going into the store almost every other week (if not every week)when I was living in London, walking down Oxford Street towards Regent Street there are like 3 Zaras within 30 mins of walking distance.. it's very different here in Irvine. 

[outfit] recent Phillip lim for Target top/ pencil skirt with isabel marant ankle boots

How silly of me to truly believed that the weather here was really turning more wintery as the cloud gathered the other day... nope! didn't happen, lasted for about 2 hours. The temperature did drop slightly making it colder in the mornings and at night... just like how it is in a desert! 

[outfit] friend's edgy fun wedding at studio 1342 LA

This weekend, my side of the world we got the extra hour of sleep stolen from us during the summer back! but that really wasn't eventful enough for red and gold shoes, my primary school best friend's wedding was! 

[outfit] recently phillip lim for target, boots for autumn, giorgio rouge ecstasy for lips

The more I experience with lipsticks the redder I dare to go, I love GA lipsticks, not only do I love the colour, the texture, I am a fan of the magnetic closure design with the lid. Call me lazy, it's the connivence of how it just snaps on so easily.. the Girogio Armani Rouge Ecstasy collection offers 36 shades of red- a one stop shop for red lipsticks if you ask me~ 

[outfit] transform from smart to casual in 3 seconds

One of those I-want-to-wear-a-maxi-skirt day... found a dress I bought from Zara years ago.. hanging there looking lonely.. 

[outfit] smart casual trade show outfit

I've been away in Vegas for the week for the industry trade show. The idea of business trips in sin city sounds perfect, I had envisage myself working in the morning and having some fun at night, well.. didn't quite happen that way... haha in actual fact being there for work is just as tiring as any other city! 

While packing, heels were out of the questions, there was going to be lots and lots of standing and walking around, I opted for boots instead. 

[thots] chelsea boots- balenciaga, churchs, bottega, asos, and more

The search for Chelsea boots all began when I received a text from my Italian friend D a couple of days ago... 

Being a contender for friend-of-the-year award, I did some research!

[outfit] orange is the new black for monday blues- hermes picotin lock

How does one light up monday blues and broken toes? (yes, i shall keep milking on those toes and go on about them til they fully recover!) with brightness- and .. Since orange is the new black is so popular~ Orange it is! 

[thots] Stella McCartney faux leather shoulder bag- or ipad?

As I was window (or apple rather) shopping online on NAP - as you do.. I was scrolling and scrolling and browsing and looking - as you do, I came across what's described by NAP as 

"Stella McCartney's structured faux leather shoulder bag is sleek and contemporary. Trimmed in contrasting white"

So sleek and contemporary that it resembles the hottest techie product - IPAD! 

I was scrolling down and thinking, "nice, nice, wow, wow, huh? IPAD!?"

[food] no mess grilled fish in 15 minutes

I love using the oven to cook, it's easy, no fume, no smoke, no mess. Very graceful i think. It's my favourite way to cook after a tired day off work. 

Mackerel I LOVE, it's nutritious and full of flavour, especially in the autumn. (and so cheapppp!!). I've always appreciated the way the Japanese grill their fish, and have been trying to achieve that crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside texture! Here's my 15 mins attempt~ 

[thots][travel] to the left to the left, coz right toes are broken

The last entry I wrote about attending one of my best friends wedding, like all things, there's the good, the bad and the ugly. In this particular case however, it's a little extreme, there's only the truly wonderful (everything about the wedding) and the shit hitting the fan (my two broken toes). I've always thought it's alright when shit happens, things can't always be good, the yin and yang's gotta balance, but it's when the shit hits the fan that gets.... really inconvenient!

Spoiler: This is a rather long winded post about, my toes! 

So, the day begun with me slipping into my almost-6 inch/12cm Sergio Rossi at around noon..

[outfit][travel] (one of) my best friend's beautiful wedding @ Coworth Park Ascot

Confession: I am a very irresponsible blogger- I stop blogging all together when I am away on holiday. It has been almost 3 weeks since I blogged, 10 days out of the three days I was in London and Sicily for the summer holiday we have been looking forward to. One of the most important event for us going to London was to attend one of my bridesmaids wedding in the beautiful English countryside- Ascot.

Dilemma the night before, which shoes?!? 

I had plan to wear my A by Brian Atwood when I was putting my outfit together, little did I know I would go shopping (yeah.. i knew.. ) and would end up buying a pair of almost turquoise Sergio Rossi shoes... the dilemma: self-inflicted.

I was shocked by how terrible some of the photo qualities were.. DO bare with me please, I HAVE just confessed that I am an irresponsible blogger..   

[outfit] growing love for bracelets vita fede / hermes / valentino / van cleef / joomi lim

Growing up, my freakishly boney wrist has stopped me from looking at bracelets all together, for one simple reason: they never fit, a lot of the time they'd just slide off~ it wasn't until I started looking at bracelets with sizes that it dawned on me that some of them might actually fit!!! and so the journey begins... 

[thots] DIY antler jewellery accessory rack / holder

I love jewellery of all sorts, from Portobello market accessories to higher end boutiques. The more valued ones I have limited of, and no problem with, I keep them save and sound; the problem is in organising the ones that I just keep lying around and want to grab and go, they seem to have the magic power of finding each other and starts tangling into a long chain of mess!! I am forever searching for the perfect and creative racks for my necklaces, I STILL am brainstorming as we speak, but what I created works for now.. for now at least! 

So.. the inspiration arose when John and I were on holiday in Bergen, Norway.. (no, it really did.. not being cliche..) a beautiful little spending-2-days-there-is-more-than-enough town~

[outift] [thots] plain top, pattern bottom. Prancercise

I've noticed I frequently end my posts with yay! Weekend, in an attempt to think outside the box, today, I am going to begin by saying yay! weekend!! Oh, and with a smile :) 

[thots] Excitement! Phillip Lim for Target 2013

It is no longer news that Phillip Lim and Target have collaborated and I can hardly contain my excitement!! I love all these designer collaborations, as far as I can remember when I was still living in the UK I was there for the various H&M designer collaborations, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, (even Madonna), Roberto Cavalli, Matthew Williamson.. you name it I was either there in person or in spirit! My all time favourite collection has to be the Lanvin x HM collection! 

[thots] Love for leather, search for long thin wallet. Saint Laurent, Il Micio, Farrell & CO, Kenton Sorenson

My wallet selection preference goes in phases, I've been using this Hermes silk'in for about 2 years now, I love it. It has so many card slots for all those credit cards, store cards, IDs... etc.. the amount of things it holds is quite incredible. I frequently put my iphone in along with the many many other things that already resides there.

I have enjoyed using it and I am sure I'll come back to using it! But for the past few month I've been on a quest to search for the perfect thin long wallet that holds credit cards. Note that the criteria I was looking for were

1. Long (didn't want to have to fold the money)- dont ask, i dont even know why
2. Thin (i wanted it to be light)
3. Have a decent amount of card slots

And the quest begins...

[outfit] good luck for vegas! VCA alhambra, red nails, brain atwood black peeptoe

Where do people in London go for a weekend break? Paris, Brussels (maybe), Barcelona, Milan, Rome... etcc.. 

Where do people in LA go for a weekend break? LAS VEGAS! 

SEE? I am jumping with joy! literally!! 

[outfit] recently, Michael Kors leopard print, IC Berlin! Sunglasses, oversized checked shirt

Work is taking over my life recently which I don't mind tooooooo much coz I quite enjoy it, BUT I'd still rather have more life than work.. 
More life than work means I'll actually have time to.. shop, browsing things online that's NOT shopping, catch up with friends and family, play candy crush, cook, read,..etc..etc.. 

With all that said, when you love something so much, you'll make time for it, e.g. Shoes! 

[food] Easiest summer fresh tomato pasta in 15 minutes

For those days when you want some fresh tasting pasta without the hassel, this is the perfect recipe! I've tried this several times it not only taste refreshing, but SO easy! 

[thots] how to find the perfect pair of jeans- meality

It's the weekend!! While wondering around bloomingdales, I bumped into this hi-tech-chic-looking pod: me ality 

[outfit] neon top, summer bright shorts, playful multi-coloured nails

I've been highly obsessed with multicoloured toes recently, thought it's playful and particularly suited for summer; so i painted them dark blue, silver, green and fuchsia this time round, 4 more colours then I'd almost have the colours of the rainbow! 

[thots] bucket bag by LV, Loewe, Mansur Gavriel, Balenciaga

I LOVE champagne and I remember in my teens, hearing the story of how the Louis Vuitton bucket bag Noe was created to carry champagne bottles, I thought to myself, genius! Didn't fancy bucket bags back then though, but 15 years down the road I think I've learnt to appreciate it's timeless appeal and actually quite fancy it now!

louis vuitton noe image from www.louisvuitton.com

[outfit] Girl gone mad. Green strip shirt with silk shorts

Girl gone wild. After 2 consecutive nights of BBQ I've gone MAD! It's been a constructive weekend with not too long left, if only I was to appreciate weekdays like I do weekends. 

I often dance, prance and move around in uncoordinated fashion at home, John's very much used to it now. Here's an example of how I rock! haha

[outfit] Work appropriate floral, pattern and statement necklace

It has been scorching hot the past week in Irvine. 5 hours drive away from us; Death Valley, topped 57C this week.. the Valley of Death it really is! 

I've never ever been photogenic and never knew how to pose nicely for the camera; nonetheless, making funny faces, exaggerated gesture, embarrassing moves is definitely my forte! Here I am expressing, just how HOT it is! got it? capiche? 

[outfit] recently... summer looks

Work has been a little hectic that blog updating has been de-prioritised. It's official, summer's here! (did it ever leave LA? lol) I cannot believe we are past the half way mark of 2013 already, it seemed like yesterday that we were all counting down, drinking bubbly, farewelling 2012!! Now summer's here, got to look the part! dunno if I did, but here's me recently..  

[care][skin] Shockingly good- Sulwhasoo whitening mask

I've been wanting to try this high end Korean Skincare line Sulwhasoo for a while now but their line of product's so extensive I wasn't really sure where to start. Founded in 1966, basing their entire line of products on herbal ingredient (most famously Korean ginseng) it is said to have dramatic glowing effects on the skin. I saw this new face mask while passing their counter when I was in Taiwan, after the convincing sales ladies' pitch I gave in.. 

[food] wild mushroom risotto

I was contacted by one of the readers who requested that I post an entry on the making of risotto (okay.. it was my cousin who whatsapped me.. haha) I've been wanting to try and make wild mushroom risottos for ages, what a perfect opportunity to experiment!

[outfit] Friday supper in LA- Tom Ford heels

It's Friday!!! yay!! and my newly adopted sister (in law) Abby's bday supper at one of my favourite Italian place in LA Angelini Osteria! 

[care][hair] solution to hair loss- La biosthetique shampoo for the scalp

I am fairly adventurous when it comes to hair styles, "it's going to grow back anyway" I always think. I've had hair down to waist lengths and shorter than Demi Moore in the 90s.

Why Demi Moore one may ask? Well, as hot as she was in the 90s, mother was a fan of her infamous haircut, so, I guess she thought, Demi's hair + my teenage daughter's face would be a solution to hair styling success, well, as it turned out, not so much, but I didn't hate it, looking back now, I really should have! 

[care][skin]- Asahi Shizuku- my new found odourless hydrating obsession

I don't have the best of skins, therefore taking care and maintaining it would require extra efforts. I'd say my skin is more towards the sensitive side of the spectrum, living in a practically desert like climate in LA doesn't help either.. Without careful attention i could probably age 10 years in 2! 

I am VERY adventurous when it comes to testing new skincare products,hence the boxes of bottles on my dressing table. This is my new found obsession from Tokyo.

[outfit] my recent floralprint leggings obsession

After my trip to Taiwan and Japan, I came back with 3 pairs of print jeans (more like leggings), god knows why but I am liking it quite a bit.. for now!

[food] one pan spaghetti w/ mushroom and pancetta

I saw this one pan pasta recipe yesterday was shocked at how easy it was, thought I'd give it a try with some modifications! 

[outfit] friends engagement banquet

I've been around and abouts and away for the past 3 weeks and therefore have been slacking on the whole blogging thing.. got back this morning and thought i'd get back to it!! (also..the poor blogger app photo quality was putting me off a bit too.. but it's now been updated!! so here I am!!) 

[outfit] summer- silk print trousers. ventilation is a must!

It peaked at 37C/99F today according to google- feels like it though, feels no cooler than a heated yoga studio, which is WAY too ridiculously hot for a May day if you ask me! 

[outfit] one of those old tshirt days

There's always one of those days when I just want to be in a old tshirt, worn in pair of jeans or leggings. Today was it.

[food] sea urchin (uni) tagliatelle w/ prawn and scallops

I went for a secret getaway for a few days, back home now and have sudden cravings for sea urchin (Uni- as it's called in Japan) pasta, thought I try creating it at home~ 

[food] easiest gucamole in ten minutes

In light with the whole Mexican food theme, I thought I'd subject "Guacamole in 10 mins" in Spanish~ though I don't even know if that's entirely correct.. oh well~ had cravings for guac today (again!?) and thought i'd share the recipe of one of my favourite guilt free snack!

[outfit] Crossbody bag- a grocery shopping must!

My weekend in the suburbia would usually involve the ever-so-fun grocery shopping! (yay...........)

[outfit] pop colour casual friday

Yay! it's Friday!! Rolled out of bed today and the only effort I bothered to make was grabbing my orange jeans. 

[thots] Moynat lush paper shopper bag

Some fashion house have nice sturdy shopper bags that's useful, I remember when still living in London, the Bottega Veneta large shopper bags was particularly helpful for packing and moving houses!

[thots] porche design twin bag

Saw this Porche Design "Twin bag" and vomited a little in my mouth..

[outfit] birthday supper on the beach

The trip to Cabo was intended for two purposes; for a weekend getaway and for my birthday celebration! 

I didn't know John had organised the beach supper until the day before and I was glad that I packed the casual very-beach-appropriate Vanessa Bruno dress! It's not a wrap dress though it looks as one coz of the tie on the waist, it has little lace details around the skirt which I like and makes it more interesting. 

[outfit] seafolly- my idea of the perfect bikini

I don't actually remember the last time I went shopping for bikinis or browse through bikinis for that matter! I guess it might be that it's very occasional that I'd get a chance to wear them, also, it's so hard to find a perfectly fitting one without trying them on.

Before this trip I thought it was time to update my (practically non-existent) swimwear wardrobe, after searching and trying on at least 20 bikinis I decided on these:- Seafolly Goddess Bandeau!

image from google